Did you know that 50% of people in urban areas and 46% of people in rural communities believe drug addiction is a major problem in their communities?
While drugs can be incredibly useful in treating ailments and saving lives, many of them are easy to abuse.
Even safe and legal recreational drug use can become dangerous if you aren’t certain of what you’re buying. But which drugs exactly will land you in an unsafe situation?
We’re here to fill you in. Check out the list of most dangerous drugs below to become more informed and stay safe.
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Most Dangerous Opioids
The U.S. is currently battling an opioid epidemic, and the effects are devastating lives across the country. While opioids are useful for treating pain in safely prescribed doses, they can be extremely dangerous in excess.
It’s also important to know that prescribed opioids have a guaranteed strength and dosage level. Illicit opioids may be cut with other substances, and you’ll never be 100% certain of the strength of the dose.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a drug used as a pain-reliever for intense surgeries, but it’s becoming more widely used on the street. Dealers will often cut it with heroin.
However, fentanyl is far more potent than heroin and this combination can lead to an overdose and death. It can also lead to sedation, respiratory issues, confusion, and nausea.
Heroin
Most opioids serve some medical function, but heroin does not. Heroin enters the bloodstream quickly and can trigger a euphoric feeling.
However, it’s extremely addictive and can lead to overdosing and death. Heroin can also cause itchiness, a rapid switch between conscious and unconscious states, nausea, and clouded thinking.
List of Most Dangerous Drugs That Are Synthetically Made
There are plenty of drugs sold that are naturally sourced. However, there’s an ever-growing number of dangerous drugs that are being created synthetically.
These drugs are also commonly known as “designer drugs”. They have the potential to be even more dangerous as we have little historical evidence of their effects.
Pink
U-47700—more commonly known as “Pink”—is a designer drug that poses many of the same risks as heroin. It gets its nickname from the pink tint of the powder.
It’s most commonly pressed into pills or sold in loose powder. Itching, respiratory issues, sedation, psychosis, and death are only a handful of the side effects known to occur when taking U-47700.
N-Bomb
R241-NBOMe is one of the newer synthetic drugs cropping up. Also known as “N-bomb”, this drug is sometimes branded as a “natural LSD”. However, this is far from the truth.
N-bomb causes side effects similar to bath salts. Side effects include hallucinations, cardiac arrest, delirium, seizures, and death. It’s most known for its hallucinogenic effects, but it’s also been known to cause violent behavior.
Dangerous Drugs Right Under Your Nose
A list of most dangerous drugs would be incomplete without mentioning substances that are harmful despite being legal.
Many assume that dangerous drugs are only snorted or injected via needles. However, there are plenty of easily accessible legalized drugs available—and their effects shouldn’t be downplayed.
Nicotine
Nearly half a million Americans die prematurely each year due to smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. Nicotine is an addictive substance, most commonly consumed by smoking cigarettes.
Smoking can lead to cancer, dental issues, and heart disease. Withdrawal symptoms include irritability, anxiety, trouble focusing, irregular appetite, and more.
Alcohol
Alcohol is commonplace in most cultures and is easily accessible. While relatively harmless in moderation, it can lead to powerful addictions.
Alcoholism can lead to alcohol poisoning, depression, anxiety, blackouts, and more. Withdrawal symptoms are similar to nicotine withdrawal symptoms—mental instability, restlessness, nausea, etc. Withdrawal symptoms can be very uncomfortable and painful, and sometimes they can even be fatal. That’s why it’s important to look out for signs of alcohol withdrawal early on to prevent the deterioration of your health and well-being.
Staying Aware
It can be easy to fall prey to dangerous drugs. It’s important to stay vigilant when you’re at parties or bars, where it’s easy to be slipped drugs.
Of course, the list of most dangerous drugs above varies in severity. However, it’s important to remember that any drug can become dangerous if you abuse it.
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